Part 5 - our journey through amazing fan art continues!

Have you ever felt that some characters are underestimated, under-appreciated and definitely not given the love they deserve? Yeah, me too! That’s why this article of our #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge appreciation series will focus on a couple of characters that I feel have a lot to tell/teach us – they just haven’t been given that much of a chance so far. It’s time for Izzy, Simon and Meliorn to shine! Of course, there will also be some Sizzy!

Part of the inseparable Lightwood siblings triad (only counting Alec, Jace and Izzy here, as Max is too young and often absent), Izzy is painted as a strong and bold character.

@shxdowhxnterss@NoHalfwayWithMe@Daniiiiiii1313

She is a force to be reckoned with – on and off the battlefield. As strong as any of the male Shadowhunters, she’s also one of the best forensic pathologists in New York – a fact that is unfortunately not paid much attention to. So the girl has got brains and brawn!

On top of that, Izzy’s also attractive, sexually confident and not above using her charms when it fits her purposes. We also love her for her snarky comments.

@beyondthehunt

Izzy and Clary: Friends for life

When it comes to relationships, Isabelle is protective and fiercely loyal. She’s quick to welcome Clary into the fold and assures her of her friendship.

@jjensen

Izzy’s relationship with Meliorn

Definitely no stickler for outdated concepts and rules, Izzy will be the first one to tell you to follow your heart and do what makes you happy. When we first get to know her, she is in a non-exclusive sexual relationship with the Seelie Knight Meliorn (Jade Hassouné).

@LylyAngelClace@r0binmon@malinlovesSHx

A frequent visitor of Downworlder establishments, Izzy doesn’t particularly care what other people (such as her parents or Clave officials) think about her decisions. She also risks her life as a Shadowhunter when she saves Meliorn from being taken to the Silent Brothers for interrogation.

@justlikethesnow

Despite weaknesses, a hero in her own right

But even such a fierce and badass woman struggles sometimes, as shown by her Yin Fen addiction. When executive producer Matt Hastings was asked if Izzy’s prior addiction to the powerful drug would be addressed when she gets together with Simon in the upcoming season 3b, he replied: “Always an undercurrent” (Twitter Q & A session, January 18).

Unfortunately, this takes us to the one and only issue we have with Izzy’s character: The lack of her own, substantial storyline. We feel that there’s a lot of potential, a lot of stories to tell concerning this kickass female who will stand by her convictions no matter what. Because Isabelle Lightwood is a hero in her own right.

@D23Jess

Simon Lewis

Let’s talk Simon – another character who didn’t have it easy. One moment, you are a normal student playing gigs with your band. Then all of a sudden, you are a vampire, thrown into a completely different world – one that you previously thought existed only in your over-imaginative mind and in Halloween movies. That’s the short version of Simon’s story.

A mundane thrust into the Shadow World

In an interview with SYFY Wire, Alberto Rosende, who does a great job playing Simon, puts Simon’s dilemma this way:

“Although now, he’s more grounded in the shadow world, and he has a better understanding of how that world works, he still is the Mundane seeing this world with the audience. Recognizing things, making jokes that the Shadowhunters don’t know because it’s a reference to pop culture they don’t have. So there are parts of it that are easy because it’s just me getting to say like, ‘Wow. I’m sitting in front of a person that calls himself a Shadowhunter, who gets these cool tattoos that gives him powers because they are angelic beings, and they live in a world of vampires and werewolves, and Seelies and all this crazy stuff that for the longest time I thought was only things people did on Halloween, and now, you’re telling me that they’re real?’ So he still gets to have those moments, and he’s seeing everything for the first time.”

@zeejade88

@D23Jess

Simon’s the least predatory vampire you can think of. His humanity is still ever present, which makes him not only special, but a valuable member of the fight against the evil forces to be. The mark of Cain which he received from the ever-plotting Seelie Queen makes him stand out even more. Besides the ability to walk in daylight, it gives him another power he doesn’t particularly want to have, but which sometimes comes in handy nevertheless.

@beyondthehunt@mossendes

Simon and Isabelle – Sizzy

Let’s see where 3b takes Simon (other than to Izzy, that is!). As my lovely colleague Meg Bonney has said before, we really want to see Sizzy setting sail:

“This is kind of a hard one to hope for because we love Simon and Maia, but we really want to see Simon and Izzy together. Ever since the alternate universe episode back in Season 1, we have been dying to Simon and Izzy as a real couple. Let’s hope that Shadowhunters season 3B finally allows that to happen!”

The posters featuring Simon and Izzy all foreshadow the relationship we have anticipated for a while now. Let’s celebrate all things Sizzy!

@syllajou@96Asiabest@katherine_reedx@ShadowhuntersJA

Thanks for all this outstanding art, everyone! That’s it for today. Next in our #ShadowhuntersPosterChallenge appreciation series, we will visit the Downworld.

Fictional worlds and words have always been my best friends. A college teacher and professional writer in real life, I use writing fandom stuff as my personal form of escapism.
Love all things Sherlock (BBC), Shadowhunters, Star Trek and Harry Potter. Enjoy Lucifer, A Discovery of Witches, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, CAOS, True Blood and The Originals. Avid reader, traveler, introvert, fangirl.
Hate Mondays and drama, love coffee and laughter.